Alternatives for post-operative pain treatment

In this issue of the Journal, Dr. Adame-Coronel et al. report their experience in the article ‘‘US TAP-BLOCK’’, alternative in pain management subsequent to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients at the ‘‘Dr. José Eleuterio González’’ University Hospital. The article compares the ultrasound guided US TAP (transversus abdominis block guided by ultrasound) versus the conventional analgesia used in the treatment of acute postoperative pain in these types of surgery. Postoperative pain treatment is very important for healthcare institutions for a variety of reasons. Its proper treatment influences the quality standards of hospital care offered to patients, as well as the additional hospital costs of bad management and the associated comorbidities linked to an inadequate management thereof. Despite pharmacological and technological advances, acute postoperative pain (APP) remains a challenge to solve for today’s medicine. There are several causes which impede proper APP management. Some that stand out are the poor training given to health professionals who intervene in ambulatory procedures, the limited information provided by patients and their relatives, and the lack of an organized structure which facilitates the implantation and standardization of proper analgesic protocols.